Wearable electronic device with articulated joint

ABSTRACT

Apparatuses, systems for electronic wearable devices such as smart glasses are described. The wearable device can comprise a frame, an elongate temple and an articulated joint. The frame can define one or more optical element holders configured to hold respective optical elements for viewing by a user in a viewing direction. The temple can be moveably connected to the frame for holding the frame in position when the device is worn by the user. The articulated joint can connect the temple and the frame to permit movement of the temple relative to the frame between a wearable position in which the temple is generally aligned with the viewing direction, and a collapsed position in which the temple extends generally transversely to the viewing direction. The articulated joint can include abase foot fixed to the frame and oriented transversely to the viewing direction.

CLAIM OF PRIORITY

This application is a continuation of and claims the benefit of priorityto U.S. application Ser. No. 16/428,181, filed May 31, 2019, which is acontinuation of and claims the benefit of priority to U.S. applicationSer. No. 15/654,441, filed Jul. 19, 2017, which is a continuation of andclaims the benefit of priority to U.S. application Ser. No. 15/086,233,filed Mar. 31, 2016, which claims the benefit of priority to U.S.Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/301,061, filed Feb. 29, 2016, eachof which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The subject matter disclosed herein generally relates to heat managementin wearable electronic devices.

BACKGROUND

Many devices, including wearable devices, utilize electronics to performvarious functions. Heat management for such electronics, to keep theelectronics within a heat range corresponding to acceptable performance,can be problematic owing for example to space and weight constraints ofa wearable device of which the electronics form part, as well as by thefact that some such devices can be worn in contact with the user's body.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present disclosure is illustrated by way of example, and not by wayof limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of eyewear comprising a wearable electronicdevice including temples, a frame, onboard electronic components andcore wires according to one embodiment.

FIG. 1A shows a plan view of the eyewear from FIG. 1 from a side thereofand illustrating the onboard electronic components housed in the frameand one of the core wires extending along one of the temples accordingto one embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a portion of the frame housing the electronicsand further illustrating a heat conduction pathway from the framethrough the hinge to the temple, according to one embodiment.

FIG. 3 is plan view of a rear portion of the frame and additionallyshowing the hinge assembly and core wire according to one embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the onboard electronic components, a thermalcoupling and a hinge assembly with portions of the frame and templesremoved according to one embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the eyewear disposed in a case accordingto one embodiment.

FIG. 5A is a perspective view of an interior portion of the case of FIG.with the eyewear removed to show an electronics connector according toone embodiment.

OVERVIEW

A brief overview of some aspects of the disclosure with reference toselected drawings follows, after which various features of the disclosedsubject matter will be described in greater detail.

One aspect of this disclosure relates to a wearable device such as aneyewear article with onboard electronic components such as a camera, aprocessor, WiFi, and various modules as is shown in FIGS. 1 to 4. Assuch, the eyewear article comprises smart glasses. The onboardelectronic components can be carried by a body of the smart glasses,such as in the frame as illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 2, or in thetemple(s). The onboard electronic components can generate relativelylarge amounts of heat during electrically powered operation, givenvolume constraints for the smart glasses. For smart glasses, it isgenerally desirable for the onboard electronics components to be carried(e.g., housed) in a manner that does not make the smart glassesunsightly or ungainly for the user. Although these criteria may besatisfied by making the onboard electronic components and/or the housingfor those components smaller, such reduction in size/volume andcorresponding reduction in surface area can pose heat managementproblems. Inadequate heat transfer away from the electronics caneventually lead to failure or mal-performance of the onboard electronicscomponents and/or can lead to undesirable external surface heating ofthe smart glasses. Such external surface heating can have undesiredeffects, e.g., by causing discomfort to the user or by creating aperception on the part of the user that the onboard electronicscomponents are being overworked due to the user's activities.

In view of the foregoing, the current inventor proposes, among othersolutions, utilizing a core wire, which typically acts to providestructural integrity to the smart glasses and also allows foradjustability of the temples to make the frames fit different faceshapes, to additionally act as a heat sink to transfer heat generated bythe onboard electronic components away therefrom (and away from the faceof the user), so as to reduce the likelihood of localized heatingadjacent the onboard electronic components and heating adjacent theuser's face. Furthermore, the inventor proposes a configuration for thesmart glasses that can provide for a thermal coupling between differentcomponents of the smart glasses (e.g., between the temple and theframe). More particularly, the thermal coupling can extend across anarticulated joint (e.g., a hinge assembly) between the temple and theframe to provide part of a heat conduction path from onboard electroniccomponents in the frame to the core wire, as shown in the exampleembodiment of FIGS. 2 and 3.

Further, the inventor proposes a cap hinge that can be part of thehousing of the frame as well as being part of the hinge assembly (e.g.,FIGS. 2-4). As shown in FIG. 4, the cap hinge can be abutted along oneor more internal surfaces disposed within the frame in a conductive heatexchange relationship by one or more heat sinks internal to the frame.These internal heat sinks can carry the onboard electronics componentsthereon. Thus, according an example, a conductive heat transfer pathwaycan be formed from the internal heat sinks to the cap hinge and from thecap hinge across the hinge assembly to the core wire as shown in FIGS. 2and 3.

In some examples, the onboard electronic components may be carried bythe frame alone. In other embodiments, the electronic components may becarried by on or more of the temples. In yet further embodiments, theelectronic components may be carried by both the frame and at least oneof the temples. Similarly, the core wire can be part of the temple(s)and/or part of the frame (e.g., FIGS. 1 and 1A). Thus, in someembodiments, the onboard electronic components can be disposed on boththe left and right side portions of the frame, and each temple cancontain a respective core wire that is thermally coupled tocorresponding onboard electronic components.

In some embodiments, the smart glasses can be operable (i.e. areelectrically powered) even in a collapsed condition where one or more ofthe temples are folded towards the frame to a non-wearable position forthe user. In such a collapsed condition, as well as in a wearablecondition where one or both of the temples are extended so as to bereceived around a user's face, the onboard electronic components can runsoftware and perform other tasks that can improve the glasses'efficiency and performance. The thermal coupling between the temple andthe frame can be configured to conduct heat across the articulated jointboth when the temple(s) is in the wearable condition and when the templeis in the collapsed condition.

In the collapsed condition, the smart glasses can be placed in a case orcarrier (e.g., FIG. 5). In some examples, the case can have a port(e.g., FIG. 5A) for data and/or power transfer to a mating port on thesmart glasses. Thus, the case can be used for recharging of a battery ofthe smart glasses, for example. In such examples, the thermal couplingbetween the temple and the frame can be configured to conduct heat tothe core wire. Such heat can result from the charging of the batteryand/or from powered operation of the onboard electronic components whenthe temple is in the collapsed condition within the case.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The description that follows includes apparatuses, systems, andtechniques that embody illustrative embodiments of the disclosure. Inthe following description, for the purposes of explanation, numerousspecific details are set forth in order to provide an understanding ofvarious embodiments of the inventive subject matter. It will be evident,however, to those skilled in the art, that embodiments of the inventivesubject matter may be practiced without these specific details. Ingeneral, well-known structures and techniques are not necessarily shownin detail. Certain embodiments described in detail herein may bereferred to as examples.

Embodiments described herein relate to apparatuses, systems andtechniques that allow smart glasses to that can conduct heat away fromonboard electronic components (and the face of the user) in a moredesirable manner. This can make the smart glasses as more reliable andwearable.

This disclosure applies to smart glasses (e.g., those that haveelectronics carried thereby). Smart glasses include onboard electroniccomponents such as a power source, power and communication relatedcircuitry, communication devices (e.g., a camera, a microphone, sensors,etc.), display devices, a computer, a memory, modules, and/or the like.

Regarding the construction of the smart glasses itself, according to oneexample, the smart glasses comprise an eyewear body configured forwearing by a user to hold one or more optical elements mounted on theeyewear body within a field of view of the user. Such optical elementscan include not just lenses (as is the case in the embodiments describedbelow), but can in other embodiments include any object that can be heldclose to the eye and through which or from which light is passed to theeye. As such, the term optical elements includes displays (such asvirtual reality displays, augmented reality displays, or other near-eyedisplays), surfaces such as those of a smartphone or tablet, and lenses,both corrective and non-corrective, for example.

The smart glasses can include the frame and a pair of the templescoupled thereto on opposite ends of the frame at articulated joints. Forany one of the temples, the temple is in the wearable configuration orcondition when the temple is substantially fully unfolded for receptionalong a side of the user's head. In contrast, a temple is in thecollapsed configuration or condition when that temple is hingedly foldedtowards the frame. Thus, the smart glasses can be in both the wearableconfiguration and the collapsed configuration at the same time (e.g.,one temple unfolded the other temple folded towards the frame) and theonboard electronics components can be electrically powered so as to beoperable in either condition, as previously discussed.

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a front of a pair of smart glasses12. The smart glasses 12 can comprise an eyewear body 13. The eyewearbody 13 can include one or more temples 14A and 14B and a frame 16. Thesmart glasses 12 can additionally include articulated joints 18A and18B, onboard electronic components 20A and 20B, and core wires 22A, 22Band 24.

The eyewear body 13 can be configured for wearing by a user to hold oneor more optical elements mounted on the eyewear body 13 within a fieldof view of a user. More particularly, the frame 16 can be configured tohold the one or more optical elements, while the temples 14A and 14B canbe connected to the frame 16 at the respective articulated joints 18Aand 18B. The temples 14A and 14B can comprise elongate members havingcore wires 22A and 22B extending therein.

The temple 14A is illustrated in the wearable condition while the temple14B is illustrated in the collapsed condition in FIG. 1. As shown inFIG. 1, the temple 14A can be connected to a right end portion 26A ofthe frame 16 by the articulated joint 18A. Similarly, the temple 14B canbe connected to a left end portion 26B of the frame 16 by thearticulated joint 18B. The right end portion 26A of the frame 16 cancarry the onboard electronic components 20A by housing the onboardelectronic components 20A therein, and the left end portion 26B cancarry the onboard electronic components 20B by housing the onboardelectronic components 20B therein.

The core wire 22A can comprise a portion of the temple 14A (e.g., can beembedded within a plastics material or other material that comprises anouter cap of the temple 14A) and can extend longitudinally from adjacentthe articulated joint 18A toward a second longitudinal end of the temple14A. Similarly, the core wire 22B can comprise a portion of the temple14B (e.g., can be embedded within a plastics material or other materialthat comprises an outer cap of the temple 14B) and can extendlongitudinally from adjacent the articulated joint 18B toward a secondlongitudinal end of the temple 14B. The core wire 24 can extend from theright end portion (terminating adjacent the onboard electroniccomponents 20A) to the left end portion 26B (terminating adjacent theonboard electronic components 20B).

The onboard electronic components 20A and 20B can be carried by theeyewear body 13 (e.g., either or both of the temple(s) 14A, 14B and/orthe frame 16). The onboard electronic components 20A and 20B cancomprise a heat source that generates heat during electrically poweredoperation. As previously discussed, the onboard electronic components20A and 20B can comprise a power source, power and communication relatedcircuitry, communication devices (e.g., a camera, a microphone, sensors,etc.), display devices, a computer, a memory, modules, and/or the like.

The temples 14A, 14B and the frame 16 can be constructed of a plasticsmaterial, cellulosic plastic (e.g., cellulosic acetate), an eco-plasticmaterial, a thermoplastic material, or the like in addition to the corewires 22A, 22B and 24. The core wires 22A, 22B and 24 can act to providestructural integrity to the eyewear body 13 (i.e. the temple(s) 14A, 14Band/or the frame 16). Additionally, the core wires 22A, 22B and/or 24can act as a heat sink to transfer the heat generated by the onboardelectronic components 20A and 20B away thereform so as to reduce thelikelihood of localized heating adjacent the onboard electroniccomponents 20A and 20B. As such, the core wires 22A, 22B and/or 24 canbe thermally coupled to the heat source to provide a heat sink for theheat source. The core wires 22A, 22B and/or 24 can be constructed of arelatively flexible conductive metal or metal alloy material such as oneor more of an aluminum, an alloy of aluminum, alloys of nickel-silver,and a stainless steel, for example.

FIG. 1A shows a side view of the smart glasses 12 illustrating thetemple 14A, the right end portion 26A of the frame 16, the articulatedjoint 18A, the onboard electronic components 20A and the core wire 22A.

Temple 14A and core wire 22A extend generally longitudinally rearwardfrom a rear facing surface of the right end portion 26A of the frame 16.According to the illustrated example of FIG. 1A, the articulated joint18A (shown in dashed) comprises a hinge assembly 28 that includes hingeprojections configured to mate with one another as illustrated anddiscussed subsequently. According to other embodiments, the articulatedjoint 18A can comprise a linkage assembly, a ball joint assembly, amale/female assembly, or another type of mechanical connection thatallows for movement of the temple 14A relative to the frame 16.

As will be illustrated subsequently, the articulated joint 18A can alsobe formed as part of the frame 16 and the temple 14A. Indeed, thearticulated joint 18A can be configured to provide for movement of thetemple 14A relative to the frame 16. Thus, the articulated joint 18Aallows for movement of the temple 14A such that it is disposable betweenthe collapsed condition and the wearable configuration as illustrated inFIG. 1.

FIG. 2 shows an enlarged view of the right end portion 26A of the frame16, the articulated joint 18A, the onboard electronic components 20A,the temple 14A and the core wire 22A. FIG. 2 also illustrates componentsof the hinge assembly 28 including a cap hinge 30 and a temple hinge 32.

As shown in the example of FIG. 2, the onboard electronic components 20Aare located within the frame 16. Thus, the heat source is located withinthe frame 16. In particular, the onboard electronic components 20A canbe housed within a cavity in the right end portion 26A of the frame 16.According to one example, this cavity can encompass a small volume(e.g., the cavity can be is ˜17 mm long). Thus, in order to dissipatethe heat more evenly and effectively, the core wire 22A can be used asthe heat sink to pull heat away from the onboard electronic components20A and a housing 33 that forms and encases the cavity and the onboardelectronic components 20A.

Together, components of the hinge assembly 28 can form a thermalcoupling 34. The thermal coupling 34 can comprise at least a second heatsink (after the core wire 22A) for the heat source. The thermal coupling34 can extend between the heat source and the core wire 22A across thearticulated joint 16A between the temple 14A and the frame 16. As thethermal coupling 34 can be comprised of components of the hinge assembly28, the thermal coupling 34 can be configured to conduct heat across thearticulated joint 18A both when the temple 14A is in the wearablecondition and when the temple is in the collapsed condition.

The cap hinge 30 can form a portion of the thermal coupling 34 and canadditionally form a portion of the frame 16 and the hinge assembly 28.More particularly, the cap hinge 30 can have a first portion 36integrally formed with the housing 33 of the frame 16 and has a secondportion 40 comprising a projection extending from the frame 16 and thefirst portion 36. As will be further illustrated subsequently inreference to FIG. 4, the cap hinge 30 can be abutted along one or moreinternal surfaces disposed within the frame 16 in a conductive heatexchange relationship by one or more heat sinks internal to the frame16.

The temple hinge 32 can form a portion of the thermal coupling 34 andcan additionally form a portion of the temple 14A and the hinge assembly28. The temple hinge 32 can comprise a third heat sink (in addition toat least the core wire 22A and the cap hinge 30). The temple hinge 32can be coupled to the core wire 22A in a conductive heat exchangerelationship. More particularly, according to one example the core wire22A can be soldered or otherwise connected to the temple hinge 32 in asolid heat conductive manner. The temple hinge 30 can be connected tothe cap hinge 32 via a metal screw or fastener (shown in FIG. 3).

FIG. 2 illustrates a conductive heat transfer pathway (illustrated byarrows) where heat generated by electrical powered operation of theonboard electronic components 20A is conducted away therefrom (and awayfrom the face of the user) via one or more heat sinks internal to theframe 16. The heat is conducted along the pathway to the cap hinge 30,through the screw (see FIG. 3), and the temple hinge 32 to the core wire22A within the temple 14A. Thus, the thermal coupling 34 can beconfigured such that the heat from the onboard electronic components 20Acan be conducted to the cap hinge 30, through the screw and temple hinge32 to the core wire 22A within the temple 14A.

FIG. 3 shows an enlarged view of the right end portion 26A of the frame16, the articulated joint 18A, the onboard electronic components 20A,the temple 14A, the core wire 22A, the hinge assembly 28 and the thermalcoupling 34 from a rear position. The encasing portion of the temple 14Ais removed in FIG. 3 to better illustrate the cap hinge 30, the screw31, the temple hinge 32 and the core wire 22A. Portions of the housing33 are also removed to better illustrate the cap hinge 30.

FIG. 3 shows the cap hinge 30 in further detail. For example, the firstportion 36 can have a relatively large surface area comprised ofopposing relatively flat surfaces that can take up most of therear-facing portion of the right end portion 26A of the frame 16. Suchrelatively large surface area provides a sufficient area for heattransfer purposes. The first portion 36 can include apertures 41therein. These apertures 41 can be used for convection heating of theonboard electronic components 20A in some embodiments. In other cases,the apertures 41 can be used to facilitate electrical communication viawire therethrough and/or can simply be used to reduce the weight of thecap hinge 30. The second portion 40 of the cap hinge 30 comprisingprojections are configured to be received in corresponding projections48 of the temple hinge 32. The second portion 40 and the projections 48can be configured to receive the screw 31 therein.

FIG. 3 illustrates the conductive heat transfer pathway (previouslydiscussed and illustrated in reference to FIG. 2) where heat generatedby electrical powered operation of the onboard electronic components 20Ais conducted away therefrom (and away from the face of the user) via oneor more heat sinks internal to the frame 16. The heat is conducted alongthe pathway (indicated by arrows) to the cap hinge 30, through the screw31, and the temple hinge 32 to the core wire 22A within the temple 14A.Thus, the thermal coupling 34 can be configured such that the heat fromthe onboard electronic components 20A can be conducted to the cap hinge30, through the screw 31 and temple hinge 32 to the core wire 22A withinthe temple 14A.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show the cap hinge 30 according to one example embodiment.The cap hinge 30 can include a first portion 36 also referred to as ahinge foot or base foot herein. The first portion 36 can be configuredto be flush with the housing 33 according to some embodiments. Thus, thethickness L₁ (FIG. 4) of the first portion 36 can be substantially thesame as the housing 33 according to one embodiment. According to oneembodiment, the thickness L₁ (FIG. 4) can be less than about 1 mm andcan be between 0.5 mm and 1.0 mm in some embodiments. The thickness ofthe first portion 36 can be up to 22 times smaller than a longitudinalthickness measured along the same axis of the cavity which houses theelectronic components and the heat sinks therein. The first portion 36can be co-molded (inset molded) with the housing 33 to maintainstructural load transfer between the temple and the frame 16. Thus, aplastic that can form the housing 33 can be molded over the hinge cap 32including the first portion 36 rather than the hinge being assembledwithin the frame 16 in a manner of traditional glasses.

Furthermore, the first portion 36 can be provided with various featuresincluding the apertures 41 and tab features 43, which can facilitateload transfer between the housing 33 and the first portion 36. Forexample, the aperture 41 allow an amount of molded material that formsthe housing 33 to flow therein to facilitate fixation and load transferbetween the housing 33 and the first portion 36. Additionally, as shownin FIG. 3, the first portion 36 can be provided with a width W₁ and aheight H₁ that are relatively large compared to that of the thicknessL₁. In some embodiments, the width W₁ and the height H₁ can each be upto 10 times larger than the thickness L₁. The relatively larger width W₁and the height H₁ provide the first portion 36 with a relatively largesurface area (e.g., about 144 mm²) for fixation to the housing 33 and toother components of the smart glasses 12.

Thus, the embodiment of the cap hinge 30 can have a relatively smallerlongitudinal dimension relative to other dimensions such as a width W₁and the height H₁. The cap hinge 30 can include a hinge foot portionthat is configured to be co-molded to a housing of the smart glasses.The co-molding can facilitate that the hinge foot portion be arrangedflush with the housing 33 with an exposed inward facing surface that isconfigured to be abutted by electronics and/or heat sink components. Thecap hinge 30 can include fixation features to facilitate structural loadtransfer between a temple and a frame. These features can includeapertures 41 configured to receive the housing 33 therein. The featurescan also include tab projections extending from an edge of the hingefoot and abutting the housing 33. According to some embodiments, thehinge foot portion can take up significantly the entirety of alongitudinal end portion of a connection area between the temple and theframe.

Thus, according to one embodiment, a wearable device is disclosedcomprising the frame 16, the elongate temple 14A and the articulatedjoint 18A. The frame 16 can define one or more optical element holdersconfigured to hold respective optical elements for viewing by a user ina viewing direction. The temple 14A can be moveably connected to theframe for holding the frame in position when the device is worn by theuser. The articulated joint 18A can connect the temple and the frame topermit movement of the temple relative to the frame between a wearableposition in which the temple is generally aligned with the viewingdirection, and a collapsed position in which the temple extendsgenerally transversely to the viewing direction. The articulated jointcan include the base foot 36 fixed to the frame and orientedtransversely to the viewing direction.

The wearable device can further include the onboard electroniccomponents 20A that can be housed by at least one of the temple 14A andthe frame 16. The onboard electronic components 20A can be housed in theframe in the first end portion 26A located at a lateral end of theframe. The first end portion 26A can project rearward relative to theone or more optical element holders and can comprise the housing 33 thatdefines a cavity configured to receive the onboard electronic componentstherein. According to some embodiments, the base foot 36 of thearticulated joint comprises a rear end face of the housing 33 andcomprises the rear end face that interfaces with the temple 14A.

According to one embodiment, the articulated joint 18A can comprise ahinge assembly 28 and the base foot 36 can form part of the cap hinge30, which additionally extends rearward from the housing and can beconfigured to couple with a hinge component of the temple. The base foot36 can form both a portion of the frame 16 and a part of the hingeassembly 28. The base foot 36 can form a portion of the housing 33 ofthe frame 16 that can be integrated into the housing 33. The base foot36 can be abutted along one or more internal surfaces 54 disposed withinthe frame 16 in a conductive heat exchange relationship by one or moreheat sinks 50 and 52 internal to the frame 16.

The base foot 36 can be configured to form substantially an entirety ofthe rear end face of the housing 33. The base foot 36 can be configuredto be flush with a surface of the housing and can have a longitudinalthickness (L₁) substantially similar to a longitudinal thickness of thehousing. According to one embodiment, the longitudinal thickness (L₁) ofthe base foot is between 0.5 mm and 1.0 mm. According to furtherembodiments, the base foot 36 can have a width (W₁) and a height (H₁)that are each are up to 10 times larger than the longitudinal thickness(L₁).

The base foot 36 can be configured to be embedded into the housing 33and can be configured to have the housing 33 extend into and around atleast a portion of the base foot (e.g., apertures 41). The base foot 36can include one or more features that can be configured to facilitate aconnection and a load transfer between the housing and the base foot(e.g., apertures 41 and/or tab features 43). Thus, according to oneembodiment the one or more features can include the aperture 41configured to receive a part of the housing 33 therein.

According to another embodiment, a pair of smart glasses 12 is disclosedwhich can include the frame 16, the elongate temple 14A, the onboardelectronics components 20A, and the hinge assembly 28. The frame 16 candefine one or more optical element holders configured to hold respectiveoptical elements for viewing by a user in a viewing direction. Thetemple 14A can be moveably connected to the frame for holding the framein position when the device is worn by the user. The onboard electroniccomponents 20A that can be housed by at least one of the temple 14A andthe frame 16. The onboard electronic components 20A can be housed in theframe in the first end portion 26A located at a lateral end of theframe. The first end portion 26A can project rearward relative to theone or more optical element holders and can comprise the housing 33 thatdefines a cavity configured to receive the onboard electronic componentstherein. According to some embodiments, the hinge assembly 28 canconnect the temple 14A to the frame. The hinge assembly 28 can have thebase foot 36 that forms substantially an entirety of a rear end face ofthe housing that interfaces with the temple 14A. The base foot 36 can beconfigured to be flush with a surface of the housing 33 and can beconfigured to be embedded into the housing 33. The base foot 36 can beconfigured to facilitate a connection and load transfer between thehousing 33 and the base foot 36.

According to yet another embodiment, a pair of smart glasses 12 isdisclosed which can include the frame 16, the elongate temple 14A, theonboard electronics components 20A, and the hinge assembly 28. The frame16 can define one or more optical element holders configured to holdrespective optical elements for viewing by a user in a viewingdirection. The temple 14A can be moveably connected to the frame forholding the frame in position when the device is worn by the user. Theonboard electronic components 20A that can be housed by at least one ofthe temple 14A and the frame 16. The onboard electronic components 20Acan be housed in the frame in the first end portion 26A located at alateral end of the frame. The first end portion 26A can project rearwardrelative to the one or more optical element holders and can comprise thehousing 33 that defines a cavity configured to receive the onboardelectronic components therein. According to some embodiments, the hingeassembly 28 can connect the temple 14A to the frame. The hinge assembly28 can have the base foot 36 that is a portion of the housing 33 of theframe 16 and can be integrated into the housing 33. The base foot 36 canbe configured to facilitate a connection and load transfer between thehousing 33 and the base foot 36. The base foot 36 can be configured toform substantially an entirety of a temple interfacing part of thehousing 33. The base foot 36 has a width (W₁) and a height (H₁) that areeach are up to 10 times larger than a longitudinal thickness (L₁)thereof.

FIG. 4 shows portions of the frame 16 with portions of the housing 33(FIG. 2) and components of the temple 14 (FIG. 2) removed. Inparticular, FIG. 4 shows the onboard electronic components 20A, a firstinternal heat sink 50, a second internal heat sink 52, and the cap hinge30 arranged together.

The cap hinge 30 can be abutted along one or more internal surfaces 54disposed within the frame 16 in a conductive heat exchange relationshipby the first internal heat sink 50 and the second internal heat sink 52.The first internal heat sink 50 and the second internal heat sink 52 canbe entirely internal to the frame 16 (i.e. can be disposed within thehousing 33 of FIG. 2). Similarly, the onboard electronic components 20Acan disposed entirely within the frame 16 (i.e. can be disposed withinthe housing 33 of FIG. 2) and can carried by the first internal heatsink 50 and the second internal heat sink 52.

The first internal heat sink 50 can be spaced from the second internalheat sink 52. According to the example of FIG. 4, the first internalheat sink 50 can extend generally longitudinally and can extendgenerally parallel with the second internal heat sink 52. The firstinternal heat sink 50 can be configured to hold and to wrap aroundvarious boards and/or modules that comprise some of the onboardelectronic components 20A. Similarly, the second internal heat sink 52can be configured to hold and sandwich various boards and/or modulesthat comprise some of the onboard electronic components 20A. In theexample of FIG. 4, the second internal heat sink 52 can extendlongitudinally from the cap hinge 30 to abut an image sensor 56 of acamera 58. As discussed previously, the first internal heat sink 50 andthe second internal heat sink 52 can act to conduct heat away from theonboard electronic components 20A to the cap hinge 30 and onward to thecore wire 22A (FIGS. 1-2).

According to one example, the one or more internal surfaces 54 of thecap hinge 30 can have a thermal interface material (TIMs) disposedthereon. The TIM can help to provide good thermal contact between thecap hinge 30 and the first internal heat sink 50 and the second internalheat sink 52. The first internal heat sink 50 and the second internalheat sink 52 can additionally utilize TIMs to provide for good thermalcontact between the first internal heat sink 50 and the second internalheat sink 52 and the onboard electronic components 20A (e.g., theprocessor, the WiFi module, the memory, and the image sensor 56). All ofthese contacts via TIMs allow for heat to be moved rearward through thefirst internal heat sink 50 and the second internal heat sink 52 to thecap hinge 30 and on to the core wire 22A (FIGS. 1-2).

According to a further example, the smart glasses 12 previouslydescribed can be used as part of a system such as system 100. The system100 can include a case 102 and the smart glasses 12 as illustrated inFIGS. 5 and 5A. In some cases, a cable (not shown) can also be utilizedwith the system 100. As discussed with regard to previous embodiments,the smart glasses 12 can generally include the frame 16, one or moretemples 14A and 14B, and on board electronic components (as illustratedand discussed in previous embodiments); the details of each will not bediscussed in great detail as aspects of these items have been previouslydescribed.

The case 102 can comprise a container or holder for the glasses 12. Insome embodiments such as that of FIG. 5A, the case 102 and glasses 12can include complementary electronic connectors 104. One such electronicconnectors 104 can comprise a base or internal connector or port 106 onthe case 102 and a corresponding connector (not shown) on the smartglasses 12.

Further details regarding such electronic connectors 104 and discussionof the systems and apparatuses related thereto can be found theApplicant's co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 14/687,362, entitled“EYEWEAR HAVING LINKAGE ASSEMBLY BETWEEN A TEMPLE AND A FRAME” filedApr. 15, 2015, co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 14/687,308, entitled“EYEWEAR HAVING SELECTIVELY EXPOSABLE FEATURE” filed Apr. 15, 2015, andco-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 14/869,149, entitled “EYEWEAR WITHCONDUCTIVE TEMPLE JOINT” filed Sep. 29, 2015; the contents of each ofwhich are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

In the collapsed condition, the smart glasses 12 can be placed in thecase 102. The smart glasses 12 can be operable (i.e. are electricallypowered) even in the collapsed condition. In such collapsed condition,as well as in the wearable condition where one or both of the temples14A and 14B are extended so as to be received around a user's face, theonboard electronic components can run software and perform other tasksthat can improve the glasses' efficiency and performance therebyimproving the user experience. The thermal coupling between the temple14A, 14B and the frame 16 can be configured to conduct heat across thearticulated joint both when the temple(s) 14A, 14B is in the wearablecondition (previously shown in FIGS. 1 and 1A) and when the temples 14Aand 14B are in the collapsed condition such as shown in FIG. 5.

As illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 5A, the smart glasses 12 and the case 102can interact together in various ways and for various purposes. Forexample, the case 102 can be used to transport and protect the smartglasses 12, to charge or provide power to the electronics incorporatedin the smart glasses 12, and/or to communicate with the electronics ofthe smart glasses 12. Thus, in some embodiments the case 102 can house asupplemental battery to those of the smart glasses 12. The thermalcoupling 34 (FIGS. 2 and 3) between the temples 14A, 14B and the frame16 can be configured to conduct heat to the core wire with the temples14A, 14B in any position relative to the frame 16. Such heat can resultfrom the charging of the battery or from powered operation of theonboard electronic components when the temples 14A, 14B are in thecollapsed condition within the case 102.

The internal connector of the case 102 can be configured to couple to acorresponding electronic connector of the glasses 12 in a mannerpreviously described in Applicant's previously cited co-pending U.S.Patent Applications when the temples 14A and 14B are in the collapsedposition and docked in the case 102. As such, the interior of the case102 can be shaped to receive the smart glasses 12 only when the temples14A and 14B are in the collapsed condition. The shape of the interioralso can be such that the electronic connectors 104 (FIG. 5A) of thoseof the case 102 and of the glasses 12 interface together and are dockedwith little slippage or movement occurring between the case 102 and theglasses 12. Although illustrated as pogo pin/pad connectors in FIG. 5A,the connectors can be of virtually any type known in the art for powerand/or data communication such as micro-USB, or the like.

Language

Throughout this specification, plural instances may implementcomponents, operations, or structures described as a single instance.Although individual operations of one or more methods are illustratedand described as separate operations, one or more of the individualoperations may be performed concurrently, and nothing requires that theoperations be performed in the order illustrated. Structures andfunctionality presented as separate components in example configurationsmay be implemented as a combined structure or component. Similarly,structures and functionality presented as a single component may beimplemented as separate components. These and other variations,modifications, additions, and improvements fall within the scope of thesubject matter herein.

Although an overview of the inventive subject matter has been describedwith reference to specific example embodiments, various modificationsand changes may be made to these embodiments without departing from thebroader scope of embodiments of the present disclosure. Such embodimentsof the inventive subject matter may be referred to herein, individuallyor collectively, by the term “invention” merely for convenience andwithout intending to voluntarily limit the scope of this application toany single disclosure or inventive concept if more than one is, in fact,disclosed.

The embodiments illustrated herein are described in sufficient detail toenable those skilled in the art to practice the teachings disclosed.Other embodiments may be used and derived therefrom, such thatstructural and logical substitutions and changes may be made withoutdeparting from the scope of this disclosure. The Detailed Description,therefore, is not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope ofvarious embodiments is defined only by the appended claims, along withthe full range of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.

As used herein, the term “or” may be construed in either an inclusive orexclusive sense. Moreover, plural instances may be provided forresources, operations, or structures described herein as a singleinstance. Additionally, boundaries between various resources,operations, modules, engines, and data stores are somewhat arbitrary,and particular operations are illustrated in a context of specificillustrative configurations. Other allocations of functionality areenvisioned and may fall within a scope of various embodiments of thepresent disclosure. In general, structures and functionality presentedas separate resources in the example configurations may be implementedas a combined structure or resource. Similarly, structures andfunctionality presented as a single resource may be implemented asseparate resources. These and other variations, modifications,additions, and improvements fall within a scope of embodiments of thepresent disclosure as represented by the appended claims. Thespecification and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in anillustrative rather than a restrictive sense.

What is claimed is:
 1. A wearable device comprising: a frame definingone or more optical element holders configured to hold respectiveoptical elements for viewing by a user in a viewing direction, the frameincluding a housing and a base foot with the base foot being a portionof the housing that is integrated into the housing; an elongate templemoveably connected to the frame for holding the frame in position whenthe device is worn by the user; and an articulated joint connecting thetemple and the frame to permit movement of the temple relative to theframe between a wearable position in which the temple is generallyaligned with the viewing direction, and a collapsed position in whichthe temple extends generally transversely to the viewing direction,wherein the base foot forms a portion of the articulated joint.
 2. Thewearable device of claim 1, further comprising onboard electroniccomponents housed by at least one of the temple and the frame.
 3. Thewearable device of claim 2, wherein the base foot is in a conductiveheat exchange relationship to conduct heat generated by the onboardelectronic components to the temple.
 4. The wearable device of claim 1,wherein the base foot includes apertures that receive portions of thehousing to integrate with the housing.
 5. The wearable device of claim1, wherein the articulated joint comprises a hinge assembly, the basefoot forming part of a cap hinge which additionally extends rearwardfrom the housing and is configured to couple with a hinge component ofthe temple.
 6. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the base footforms substantially an entirety of a temple interfacing part of thehousing.
 7. A wearable device comprising: a frame defining one or moreoptical element holders configured to hold respective optical elementsfor viewing by a user in a viewing direction, the frame including ahousing and a base foot, wherein the base foot is configured to have thehousing extend into and around at least a portion of the base foot suchthat the base foot and the housing are integrated; an elongate templemoveably connected to the frame for holding the frame in position whenthe device is worn by the user; and an articulated joint connecting thetemple and the frame to permit movement of the temple relative to theframe between a wearable position in which the temple is generallyaligned with the viewing direction, and a collapsed position in whichthe temple extends generally transversely to the viewing direction. 8.The wearable device of claim 7, wherein the base foot includes one ormore features to facilitate a connection and load transfer between thehousing and the base foot.
 9. The wearable device of claim 7, furthercomprising onboard electronic components housed by at least one of thetemple and the frame, and wherein the base foot is abutted in aconductive heat exchange relationship along one or more internalsurfaces disposed within the frame by one or more heat sinks internal tothe frame to conduct heat produced by the onboard electronic components.10. The wearable device of claim 7, wherein the base foot forms aportion of the articulated joint.
 11. The wearable device of claim 7,wherein the base foot is configured to form substantially an entirety ofa temple interfacing part of the housing.
 12. The wearable device ofclaim 11, wherein the base foot has a width and a height that are eachare up to 10 times larger than a thickness.
 13. A wearable devicecomprising: a frame defining one or more optical element holdersconfigured to hold respective optical elements for viewing by a user ina viewing direction, the frame including a housing and a base foot,wherein the base foot forms a rear end face of the frame at a lateralend portion thereof; an elongate temple moveably connected to the framefor holding the frame in position when the device is worn by the user;and an articulated joint connecting the temple and the frame to permitmovement of the temple relative to the frame between a wearable positionin which the temple is generally aligned with the viewing direction, anda collapsed position in which the temple extends generally transverselyto the viewing direction, wherein the base foot forms a portion of thearticulated joint.
 14. The wearable device of claim 13, furthercomprising onboard electronic components housed by at least one of thetemple and the frame.
 15. The wearable device of claim 14, wherein thebase foot is in a conductive heat exchange relationship to conduct heatgenerated by the onboard electronic components to the temple.
 16. Thewearable device of claim 13, wherein the base foot is configured to havethe housing extend into and around at least a portion of the base footsuch that the base foot and the housing are integrated.
 17. The wearabledevice of claim 13, wherein the base foot includes one or more featuresto facilitate a connection and load transfer between the housing and thebase foot.
 18. The wearable device of claim 17, wherein the one or morefeatures include apertures that receive portions of the housing therein.19. The wearable device of claim 13, further comprising onboardelectronic components housed by at least one of the temple and theframe, and wherein the base foot is abutted in a conductive heatexchange relationship along one or more internal surfaces disposedwithin the frame by one or more heat sinks internal to the frame toconduct heat produced by the onboard electronic components.
 20. Thewearable device of claim 13, wherein the articulated joint comprises ahinge assembly, the base foot forming part of a cap hinge whichadditionally extends rearward from the housing and is configured tocouple with a hinge component of the temple.